Free agent forward Jarvis Hayes plans to sign a two-year contract with the New jersey Nets, a league source with knowledge of the negotiations said Thursday night.

As the Nets begin rebuilding with a core of young players, Hayes, 26, gives New Jersey’s bench some veteran scoring pop and athleticism. After spending four years with the Washington Wizards, where Hayes had been a lottery pick in 2003, he played the past season with the Detroit Pistons.

New jersey had hoped to re-sign forward Bostjan Nachbar, but this could mean he’ll go elsewhere now.

Hayes, who is 6-foot-8, averaged a career-low 6.7 points in the regular season, and played a diminished role in the playoffs. He played just once in the Pistons’ six-game Eastern Conference finals loss to the Boston Celtics.

Still, Hayes has a three-point touch and the ability to defend the perimeter that intrigued several contenders, including the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.

Wow. New jersey has just added more depth to their roster. A veteran who can shoot and defend, wow.

I like this signing. He's very versatile and has a higher skill level than people think. He was great with Washington and will really help NJ this year. IMO he was also pretty solid with Detroit last year.